TOP 5 SYLAS COUNTERS MIDLANE

Sylas is a bruiser mage who thrives in close-range trades, extended duels, and chaotic teamfights. His Q (Chain Lash) pokes and slows, W (Kingslayer) provides healing + burst, and E (Abscond/Abduct) gives him mobility + CC. His R (Hijack) allows him to steal your ult and flip teamfights with unexpected value.

But Sylas is melee, high-cooldown dependent, and useless when behind. He’s heavily reliant on landing E engages, hitting W at low HP, and having good ults to steal. If you can poke him out, CC him mid-combo, or force him to waste R, he becomes a weak all-in threat with no lane control.

The top 5 counters to Sylas mid are: Viktor, Vex, Lissandra, Xerath, and Akshan. These champions either outrange and poke, deny his engage, or punish him for short-range misplays.

Top 5 Sylas Mid Counters

1. Viktor

• Playstyle: Scaling control mage / poke & burst
• Why it works:
  • Outranges Sylas in lane with Q and E poke.
  • W (Gravity Field) zones his E engage and interrupts trades.
  • His ult (Chaos Storm) isn’t valuable when stolen — hard to execute for Sylas.

Play Tips:

• Zone with E early — punish him for walking up.
• Place W behind you when he E dashes in — punish with Q + empowered auto.
• Play slow; your items outscale him heavily.

2. Vex

• Playstyle: Anti-dash burst mage
• Why it works:
  • Passive + W fear punishes every E dash attempt.
  • Q + E chunk his HP before he can get in range to trade.
  • Her R doesn’t give him value when stolen — often low-impact.

Play Tips:

• Time W fear reactively for when he tries to engage.
• Push early waves to hit level 6 first — you can burst him before he gets tanky.
• Roam often — Sylas prefers sitting mid and healing off CS.

3. Lissandra

• Playstyle: Utility mage / lockdown control
• Why it works:
  • Point-and-click R (Frozen Tomb) ruins his all-ins.
  • Q + W poke combo is safe and constant.
  • Her R is strong when stolen, but still can’t help him escape CC chains.

Play Tips:

• Trade with Q and back off — don’t let him full combo.
• Save ult for after he dashes — lock him down before W heals him.
• Look for jungle 2v2s — Sylas is terrible against CC stacking.

4. Xerath

• Playstyle: Long-range poke / artillery mage
• Why it works:
  • Completely outranges him in every phase of the game.
  • Q + W poke forces him to burn health pots or give up CS.
  • Ult (Rite of the Arcane) is very difficult for Sylas to use well when stolen.

Play Tips:

• Sit back and farm with Q — punish him for trying to CS.
• Stun him after he E’s forward — he has no way out.
• Force him out of lane early — he can’t trade back without items.

5. Akshan

• Playstyle: Anti-melee marksman / roam and punish
• Why it works:
  • Ranged lane bully — Sylas hates ranged poke.
  • Out-roams him and can revive allies to deny his mid-game cleanup.
  • He can’t lock Akshan down unless Akshan mispositions.

Play Tips:

• Constantly poke with autos + Q.
• Use E around walls to reposition after he dashes in.
• Ult to finish him or deny resets if he roams first.

Bonus Tips to Beat Sylas Mid:

• Don’t give him a valuable ultimate — pick champs with low-impact ults when possible (e.g., Vex, Xerath, Ahri).
• Interrupt W healing with CC — fear, silence, or stun before he lands the heal.
• Track his E cooldown — it’s his only way in. If he misses, he’s a sitting duck.
• Build anti-heal early (Executioner's, Oblivion Orb) if you're trading often.